agile project management

An Intro to Scrum

• Broken down into ‘iterations’ • Self-Managed • Minimal Planning • Easily/Quickly adapts to change

Agile (Iterative) Project Development

The Agile Manifesto • Written in 2001 • Can be read in its entirety at: http://agilemanifesto.org/

September 21, 2010 Agile Project Development 2

http://agilemanifesto.org/

Key Concepts

Individual Characteristics 0 Promotes cross-functionality

0 Encourages transparency

0 Emphasizes personal

accountability

0 Rewards teamwork

0 Allows team members to choose

tasks to work on

Organizational Characteristics 0 Aligns development with customer

needs & company goals

0 Short iterations followed by

acceptance testing by customer

0 Leadership philosophy

0 Best utilized in ‘Learning’

Organizations


General Philosophy

Individuals and interactions Working software Customer collaboration Responding to change

processes and tools

comprehensive documentation

contract negotiation

following a plan

Values These Principles These Principles over

While there is value in the items on the right, in Agile, we value the items on the left more.


Roles & Functions Role Function Product Owner Leader

Communicator/Point-of-Contact Visionary Customer

Scrum Master Protector/Gatekeeper Recorder/Communicator Facilitator Trainer/Coach

Scrum Team Manager Problem Solver/Designer Visionary Mentor


Process Flowchart Product Vision

Product Backlog

Sprint Planning Meeting

Prioritization Meeting

Sprint Retrospective

Burndown Chart

Daily Stand-Up Meeting

Sprint Review


Product Vision Based on the Product Owner’s conversations with the Customer

Provides consideration to the Customer’s concept of the product adds clarity to the Customer’s

vision of the product.

A Customer-approved Product Vision provides the basis for a trust agreement between the Customer and the Product Owner

Who Has Input:

Product Owner Team Members Scrum Master Customer


Product Backlog

Prioritized list of User Stories (customer needs and requirements) Based on the Product Vision developed by the Product Owner with the Customer


Sprint Planning Meeting

Two-part Process 1) Clarity of Product Vision Teams ask questions to gain clarity

2) Team Members become autonomous Break down User Stories Pull Tasks Create Burndown Chart


Daily Stand-Up Meeting (DSM) Each Team Member will answer the

following questions during the DSM: 1) What have you done since the last

meeting?

2) What will you do between now and the next meeting?

3) Is there anything standing in the way of you completing your goals?

Who: Scrum Master, Scrum Team What: 10-15 minute (brief) meeting Where: Same place every day When: Same time every day Why: To eliminate any/all impediments to team progress and to answer 3 questions.


Burndown Chart A graphical representation of team progress – monitors how much work remains in the current iteration; posted prominently in workspace September 21, 2010 Agile Project Development 11

Sprint Review

Demonstration of functioning software to: Product Owner Users Corporate Management Stakeholders Team Members & Scrum Masters in attendance


Sprint Retrospective

Team meeting held after every iteration Scrum Team reviews:

What went well What went wrong

Discussion of any improvements for the next iteration

Led by a Neutral Third Party

Result = Single Action Item


Prioritization Meeting Meeting held once an iteration Includes:

Product Owner Scrum Team Scrum Master Stakeholders/Customers

Review/Reassess remaining Product Backlog items


Result = Changes reflect reassessed priorities of project

Why Agile???

Structure Empowers Team Members Encourages Change & Learning Avoids rigidity of Traditional Bureaucratic Organizations Establishes an Environment Conducive to:

Communication Cooperation Cross-Fertilization


Everyone is constantly improved making both the Process & Management better!

agile project management

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